These are the women who were deemed too nasty for their times – too nasty to be recognised, too nasty to be paid for their work and sometimes too nasty to be allowed to live.

When you learn about women in history, it’s hard not to wonder: why do they all seem so prim and proper? The truth is, you’re probably not being told the whole story. Also, (mostly male) historians keep leaving out or glossing over some of the most badass women who ever walked the surface of this planet. Fake news!

-the women with impressive kill counts
-the women who wrote dangerous things
-the women who fought empires and racists
-the women who knew how to have a good-ass time
-the women who punched Nazis (metaphorically but also not)

So, if you think that Nasty Women are a new thing, think again. They’ve always been around – you just haven’t always heard of them. These are the 100 Nasty Women of History who gave zero f*cks whatsoever. These are the 100 Nasty Women of History who made a difference.

These are the 100 Nasty Women of History whom everyone needs to know about, right now.

Well, this is just hilarious and so so fun to read. 100 Nasty Women of History is all about history’s bravest, most ballsy women. And most of them you’ve probably never heard of!

“Wallada bint-al-Mustakfi had the good fortune to be born to the Caliph Muhammad III of Cordoba in about 994, and the even better fortune for her father to be murdered, thereby inheriting his wealth and gaining total independence.”

In the final debate of the 2016 US presidential election, Donald Trump leaned into the microphone as Hilary Clinton spoke about social security, and he called his opponent ‘such a nasty woman’. I’m sure Donald Trump didn’t realise that this phrase would go on to become a badge of honour for women around the world. Being a ‘nasty woman’ is now considered a compliment!

Hannah Jewell is a senior writer for Buzzfeed UK, so she brings into this book her wit and sarcasm. I laughed out loud many times when reading this book, chuckling on public transport to and from work.

“You may remember Artemisia of Caria from the movie 300: Rise of An Empire, the sequel to that all-time greatest hyper-masculine wankfest of a film, 300.”

100 Nasty Women of History is about powerful women of history. It’s a funny, entertaining way of learning about the boldest and bravest women of history. It’s important to note that is a bit of swearing in the book, so even though this book is educational and informative, it’s not for children.

This is actually a really interesting read. There are so many women in here whose designs or actions paved the way for the future, and yet I’d never heard of them before. Some died young, some died old, but they all managed to achieve something pretty incredible before they departed this world.

I did feel like Hannah’s humour and sarcasm fell away after halfway through the book. There was definitely more wit and jokes in the first half of the book than the second, and I wish that was more consistent throughout.

“Born in 1916, Marie Chauvet was a member of the mixed-race elite of Haiti. She would host gatherings of important poets at her home in Port-au-Prince, and wrote novels addressing race, class, and gender. Her works would criticise both the corruption of the elite society to which she was party, and the brutality of the government opposed to it – so basically, she pissed everyone off.”

I’d recommend this book to feminists and other powerful women. It’d also be a great Christmas stocking filler too!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

100 Nasty Women of History
Hannah Jewell
November 2017
Hachette Book Publishers

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Kindness – learn how to take action to change the world, one act of kindness at a time.

The Little Book of Kindness will teach you how to be kind to yourself, to strangers, to those you love, to the world – every day, at every opportunity.

Prompted by the seeming hopelessness of the world around her, Bernadette Russell undertook a pledge to be kind to a stranger every day for a year. The experience left her wanting to inspire others. The Little Book of Kindness is packed with fun ideas, practical tips and interactive exercises that encourage you to ‘be kind’ in every area of life – online, to strangers, to the environment, in your community, to yourself – and change the world, one act of kindness at a time.

In 2011, Bernadette Russell started a blog called 366 Days of Kindness, detailing her attempt to be kind every day to a stranger — it began as a response to the UK riots that year. The blog became incredibly popular, and Bernadette was inspired to write this Little Book so that other people could read about what she’s learnt and be inspired to spread more kindness in their lives.

This book is as much informative, as it is reflective. Bernadette gives many examples of kind acts she did, and then finishes each section of the book with advice or tips, or even a blank page that the reader can use to write down some ideas.

“On Valentine’s Day 2012, some friends and I delivered 150 handmade Valentine’s cards to total strangers all around London. Our mission was to reclaim Valentine’s Day as a festival of love for humanity.”

The Little Book of Kindness is full of invaluable tips and tricks, and motivating advice. It’s not just about being kind to others, but to yourself and the environment, and the community. There are also sections of the book that talk about behind kind online and being kind to elders.

“A few months into my year of acts of kindness, I saw a gentleman on the bus wearing a very stylish hat. I told him so and we got talking. His name was Alvin. He told me he hadn’t spoken to anyone for a couple of days and was glad to chat. After that I made a focused effort to connect with elders more.”

I think this book would be great for someone who is looking for a new project or is trying to decide what their New Years’ resolution will be. It’s compact, so it can be carried around easily, and it’s only 130 pages so it can be read very quickly. This would be a great stocking filler present.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Little Book of Kindness: Everyday actions to change your life and the world around you
Bernadette Russell
November 2017
Hachette Book Publishers

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In this intimate memoir of survival, a former captive of the Islamic State tells her harrowing and ultimately inspiring story.

Nadia Murad was born and raised in Kocho, a small village of farmers and shepherds in northern Iraq. A member of the Yazidi community, she and her brothers and sisters lived a quiet life. Nadia had dreams of becoming a history teacher or opening her own beauty salon.

On August 15th, 2014, when Nadia was just twenty-one years old, this life ended. Islamic State militants massacred the people of her village, executing men who refused to convert to Islam and women too old to become sex slaves. Six of Nadia’s brothers were killed, and her mother soon after, their bodies swept into mass graves. Nadia was taken to Mosul and forced, along with thousands of other Yazidi girls, into the ISIS slave trade.

Nadia would be held captive by several militants and repeatedly raped and beaten. Finally, she managed a narrow escape through the streets of Mosul, finding shelter in the home of a Sunni Muslim family whose eldest son risked his life to smuggle her to safety.

Today, Nadia’s story—as a witness to the Islamic State’s brutality, a survivor of rape, a refugee, a Yazidi–has forced the world to pay attention to the ongoing genocide in Iraq. It is a call to action, a testament to the human will to survive, and a love letter to a lost country, a fragile community, and a family torn apart by war.

The Last Girl is the remarkable and courageous true story of Nadia Murad, a twenty-three year old Yazidi woman who is working with Amal Clooney to challenge the world to fight ISIS on behalf of her people.

“Nadia Murad is not just my client, she is my friend. When we were introduced in London, she asked if I would act as her lawyer. She explained that she would not be able to provide funds, that the case would likely be long and unsuccessful. But before you decide, she had said, hear my story.”
FOREWORD BY AMAL CLOONEY

The Last Girl is an inspiring memoir spanning quite a few years of Nadia’s life. She had a peaceful childhood in a remote village in Iraq, but then her life changed in 2014 and she was forced into the IS slave trade.

Nadia Murad’s memoir is raw and heartbreaking, illustrating the religious genocide and Nadia’s subsequent life in captivity under the Islamic State. Growing up, Nadia enjoyed her childhood in the small Yazidi community. However, surrounding them, Daesh — otherwise known as the Islamic State — were taking control of Northern Iraq. Slowly, everyone in Nadia’s village were growing terrified of what was coming. And soon, they were trapped, unable to leave their village because they knew they’d be killed.

After Nadia’s brothers and mother were killed, Nadia was forced to convert to Islam and then taken captive in Mosul by a man named Hajji Salman. Somehow, Nadia survived the daily abuse, torture and rape and was able to escape back to her family.

“In the school, we could hear the gunshots that killed the men. They came in loud bursts and lasted for an hour. Some of the women who stayed by the window said they could see puffs of dirt rising up behind the school. When it was quiet, the militants turned their attention to us.”

This memoir is told with incredible detail and emotional maturity — Nadia’s story is illustrated with emotion and reflection and extreme detail. She is able to reflect not only on her own story and her own tragedy, but also on those others around her. She is incredibly observant, and she talks about her neighbours and family and classmates and she will tell the reader about what happened to them. Over the course of this book, you find out what happened to not only Nadia, but also to her female family members.

This story covers a lot of ground. In the first few chapters of the book, Nadia seems to give a history lesson to readers. She reflects on the persecution of the Yazidis in Iraq. Nadia also talks about the background of her village and where she came from, detailing the tensions surrounding her village. She interweaves this section of the book with stories from her past and memories that she can’t quite forget.

For example, she tells a story of an American solider who gifted her a ring. She wears it everyday and loves it, but one day she loses it in the fields near her house. She is devastated. But, one year later she finds it again only to realise that her hands have grown and now the ring is too small for her. She has to sell the ring and use the money to help support her family.

The second two sections of the book are true horror, talking about Nadia’s life in captivity and the terror she faced in attempting to escape.

“ISIS held us prisoner in our homes while they carried out the genocide elsewhere in Sinjar. They didn’t have time, yet, to take care of us. They were busy confiscating Yazidi homes and filling bags with their jewellery, car keys, and cell phones; busy rounding up the Yazidis’ cows and sheep to keep as their own.”

Nadia Murad is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and her memoir is inspiring but also incredibly heartbreaking. This isn’t an easy read, so beware of what this story is about before you head into it. It’s not only eye-opening, but incredible informative. I learnt a lot about the political turmoil and relations in Iraq, and I felt that Nadia explained things in simple terms so that the history behind her story can be understood by all readers.

This book is one of those stories that shows us what’s really happening in the world — what the media aren’t reporting on or what is slipping past us. It’s a difficult story to read, but it’s a story that’s incredibly important and harrowing. Stories like these teach us more about the world, and about the far corners of the world that some people have long forgotten.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State
Nadia Murad
November 2017
Hachette Publishers Australia

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Mira Bartok tells the story of Arthur, a shy, fox-like foundling with only one ear and a desperate desire to belong, as he seeks his destiny.

Have you been unexpectedly burdened by a recently orphaned or unclaimed creature? Worry not! We have just the solution for you!

Welcome to the Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, an institution run by evil Miss Carbunkle, a cunning villainess who believes her terrified young charges exist only to serve and suffer. Part animal and part human, the groundlings toil in classroom and factory, forbidden to enjoy anything regular children have, most particularly singing and music. For the Wonderling, an innocent-hearted, one-eared, fox-like eleven-year-old with only a number rather than a proper name — a 13 etched on a medallion around his neck — it is the only home he has ever known.

But unexpected courage leads him to acquire the loyalty of a young bird groundling named Trinket, who gives the Home’s loneliest inhabitant two incredible gifts: a real name —Arthur, like the good king in the old stories — and a best friend. Using Trinket’s ingenious invention, the pair escape over the wall and embark on an adventure that will take them out into the wider world and ultimately down the path of sweet Arthur’s true destiny.

The Wondering is a gorgeous hardback gift book for primary-school aged children. It’s about a young groundling — an animal hybrid named Arthur — who escapes the terrible orphanage Miss Carbunkle’s Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures. Arthur wants to find out where he’s from and what happened to his family, and along with his best friend Trinket, the two venture far and wide to find the answers that they’re looking for.

“Arthur took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. ‘I wish — and I will say it out loud, Trinket, for you are my best friend in the whole wide world — I wish —‘ He took another breath. ‘I wish to know why I’m here and what I’m supposed to do in the world — what is my destiny? There. I said it.”

The first thing you notice about the book is its package. The cover design is gorgeous and the illustrations throughout the book are wonderful. And not only does the book look beautiful, it’s actually a wonderful story and one that I really enjoyed reading.

“The sun rose over the city as Arthur and the Rat made their way across the bridge. All along the railing were flocks of wood pigeons and crows, fighting over bits of dead fish. It was a sad, neglected bridge, with the same soot-blackened statue on either side — a creature with a woman’s face and the body and wings of a swan.”

Whilst reading this, I had many flashbacks to some of the children’s books I read as a kid. There is something about this book and the storytelling that reminds me of Peter Rabbit and The Wind in the Willows. I think Mira has created a truly marvellous and highly original world.

The Wonderling is full of rich description and imagery, and strong friendships. There are multiple key messages in the book, and I think the strongest is the importance of friendship and the stability of it. Trinket, Arthur and Quintus — another friend that Arthur meets along the way — have a wonderful relationship and their friendship is really heartwarming, particularly amidst all the sadness in their world.

Mira has created some fantastic hybrid animals in the story, as well as highly original world-building. There’s homes within hollow trees, flying bicycles and clockwork beetles. The villains are also pretty entertaining. In particular, Headmistress Carbunkle and Mr Sneezeweed.

“Arthur climbed up the rope ladder to a rickety platform and was hoisted to the top by a loud clanking pulley. His new ‘home’ was a small, damp, empty hole carved into the rock. It reeked of bird droppings, mould, sewage and pee.”

The Wonderling is full of warmth and soul, and I really enjoyed the book. I did think it could’ve been shorter, though. At 462 pages, it’s a hefty read and I do think Mira could’ve condensed the story a bit. Besides this, it’s a sweet tale for young kids and there are plenty of learnings in there for them as well as a really great story with wonderful characters.

This book is recommended for children aged 9-13.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A scary shower + three twisty little pigs + a choose your own adventure + a Halloween chicken + a demonic clown + an unexpected gift + terrible twins + a famous dancing dog + a running race like no other = one hilarious book.

Laugh Your Head Off Again and Again is the third compilation from Pan Macmillan, featuring hilarious short stories from some of Australia’s funniest and most well-known children’s authors.

One of the first things I noticed about this book was its bright orange cover, with neon green text and illustrations. Each new story is also titled on bright green paper, with Andrea Innocent’s illustrations scattered throughout the book. The whole package is really striking and I imagine the book would be really eye-catching for a child in a bookstore.

“Ever since I’ve been old enough to have showers I’ve been trying to find a way to fill a shower cubicle up with water. If I put a face-washer over the plughole I can get the water as far up as my ankles, but it always ends up leaking out through the gaps in the door.”
ANDY GRIFFITHS

This book would be a lot of fun for kids. There are plenty of fart jokes, name calling, clown jokes and sibling rivalries. There’s some tongue in cheek humour and lots of sarcasm. My particular favourites are Andy Griffiths, Tristan Bancks, Tony Wilson and Deborah Abela.

“I have another flashback to the painting over my bed, the night he slipped out over the frame and tried to suffocate me with the world’s unfunniest clown fart. It smelt like dead mice, ginger beer and cauliflower. I was drowning in it.”
TRISTAN BANCKS

These stories are imaginative and very funny, and I’d recommend this to kids both female and male. The stories are very gender neutral so the book didn’t feel too much like it was aimed at male readers.

***

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH TRISTAN BANCKS

What’s your favourite part of being a children’s author?
Having an outlet for my imagination on the page and then finding ways to bring that story to life in live talks and online.

What was the inspiration behind your story in ‘Laugh Your Head Off Again and Again’?
My story is called ‘Death By Clown’. When I was a kid there was a picture of a very tall, very skinny clown hanging over my bed. I was terrified of it and used to take it down off the wall and put it behind a bookshelf before I went to school. But when I’d get home the clown would be back on the wall and I was never quite sure if it was my mum who had put it back up or the creepy clown himself.

What do you think is essential when trying to write humour for kids?
Don’t hold back. If a crazy, gross or dark idea occurs it’s best to write it and then decide later if it’s totally inappropriate. Most often it’s fine. Kids like stories that push the boundaries of ‘what’s allowed’ and editing ideas in your mind too early robs the reader of the most interesting possibilities.

What are the different challenges between writing for kids and writing for teens?
It’s really just a gear shift in your mind, in the same way that you might tell a verbal story differently to a kid or to a teenager. You highlight different parts of the story and leave out others. Teens can find certain things trivial or annoying that younger children find thrilling or hilarious. I write darker, more serious stuff for older readers (Two Wolves and The Fall) and sillier, funnier stuff for younger kids (My Life series and stories for Laugh Your Head Off). But there’s humour in the older books and a touch of darkness in the younger. I like writing both.

Between writing and appearing at schools & festivals, do you have a routine? How do you juggle your workload?
I spend about seven months of the year writing, four months touring and I have a month off. I’m still writing while I’m touring but not as much and I try not to panic or get frustrated about that. I try to enjoy it all. I’m starting to work on adapting my books for the screen, too, and that’s exciting. I started out in film and TV and I love the work of re-thinking the story for a different medium.

Which Australian author would you love to collaborate with?
I am actually longing to do more collaborative work right now. It gets boring working alone all the time. In saying that, co-writing can be tricky, especially on a book. I really admire Morris Gleitzman’s stuff. I love working with Gus Gordon on the My Life books. Claire Zorn’s books are excellent. I love Markus Zusak’s early Ruben Wolfe series. Not sure if I want to collaborate or just read more of their books!

And finally, what are you working on next?
I’ve just finished editing the latest My Life / Tom Weekly book of comedy short stories for 2018 release. Gus Gordon is illustrating it right now. And I’m writing a novel about a lockdown in a school. It’s inspired by a couple of drills I’ve been part of during school visits. It’s for upper primary / early high school readers and I’m enjoying watching it unfold.